Feed dog for sewing machines



April 21, 1959 E. T. COATES 2,832,346

FEED DOG FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 28. 1956 LUJUIHIH I lllllllINVENTOR.

ELMER T. COATES ATTORNEY FEED DOG FOR SEWING MACHINES Elmer T. Coates,St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Angelica Uniform Company, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Application May 28, 1956, Serial No. 587,589

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-216) This invention relates in general to sewingmachines and, more particularly, to certain new and useful improvementsin feed dogs therefor.

In the production of various, one-piece garments, there is a necessityto feed the constituent pieces of fabric to a sewing machine atdifferent rates of speed to obtain the desired characteristics in thefinished garment. This is particularly evident in the production ofone-piece dresses having what is commonly termed a set-in band or belt,in which construction the belt portion is stitched to blouse andskirt-forming pieces, with the latter being gathered in the area of suchsecurement to provide the desired fullness.

-Heretofore, in making garments of this type, operators have had toexercise marked skill in order to continuously feed the waist and/ orskirt portions by hand at such speed relative to the rate of automaticfeed of the belt or band so as to achieve the necessary gathering duringstitching. Thus, heretofore, this operation, generally known as bandingrequired exceeding experience and dexterity on the part of the operator.

Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide afeed dog for sewing machines which is adapted for simultaneous feedingof fabric sections of varying extent to a machine at difierent rates ofspeed so that the same may be stitched together with the ends of suchsections coinciding.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a feed dog forsewing machines having adjustable elements for engaging the fabricsections to be fed at relatively increased rates for effectivegathering.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a feed dog forsewing machines which will assure the stitching of pieces of fabric ofdifferent extent along a seam extending from one end to the other of theshorter piece without the exercise of skill on the part of the operator.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a feeddog for sewing machines which may be economically manufactured; andwhich is durable and reliable in usage.

These and other detailed objects are obtained by the structuresillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a feed dog constructed in accordance with andembodying the present invention illustrating the same in operativerelation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the feed dog.

Figure 3 is an side view.

Figure 4 is a rearward end view.

Figure is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure4.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustratesthe preferred embodiment of the present invention, A generallydesignates feed dog for use in a sewing machine, which latter maypreferably be of the multiple-needle type, as suggested in Figure 1.Said sew- United States Patent 0 M Patented Apr. 21, 1959 ing machine isof customary construction and hence, although not all parts are shownherein, should be understood to comprise the standard elements. 1indicates a needle bar having mounted thereon a pair of needles 2, 2';there being the usual spring-loaded presser bar 3 carrying a presserfoot 4 for cooperating with feed dog A in the delivery of work to themachine; which latter also includes a work support or cloth plate (notshown) to which a slotted throat plate 5 is secured, as by screws, inthe recognized manner. Said feed dog A comprises a depending shank 6having an enlarged opening 7 therein for extension therethrough of ascrew for securing feed dog A to a feed bar (not shown) which is in turnoperatively engaged to the usual mechanical means for imparting the upand down, reciprocatory movement to feed dog A. 1

Feed dog A comprises a plurality of main or central feed elements 8 ofsubstantially the same length, in mutual parallel relation, and spacedapart for projection through corresponding slots 9 formed in throatplate 5; said feed elements 8 being each of customary, bar-likeconstruction with its upper surface serrated or of general sawtoothcontour for fabric-engaging purposes. On either side of the group ofcentral feed elements 8 is a short, feed member 10, 10 disposedrearwardly of the usual opening 11, 11' formed in throat plate 5 forextension therethrough of needles 2, 2' during operation, for engagingthe noW stitched work in the area of the seam for assisting in thedelivery of same from the machine.

Said feed dog A in its normally rearward portion extends laterallyoutwardly of feed members 10, 10 to form lugs 12, 12, respectively, eachof which is trans-., versely tapped for threadedly receiving a set screw13, 13, respectively, the forward ends of which are presented forabutment against the confronting, rearward end surfaces of lateral orauxiliary feed elements 14, 14 respectively. Said lateral feed elements14, 14"are engaged adjacent their rearward ends to the proximate sidefaces of feed dog A, as by means of screws 15, 15' which pass throughdrilled, countersunk openings in said elements 14, 14' whereby thelatter, upon unlocking of screws 15, 15 are adapted for adjustable,swingable movement within a vertical plane, normal to the plane ofcentral feed elements 8. Each lateral feed element 14, 14' may be rockedindependently of the other, although, in practice, they will normally becorrespondingly adjusted.

To dispose lateral feed elements 14, 14' in any desired relationship tofixed, feed elements 8, 10, 10, the related retaining screws 15, 15 willbe loosened; feed elements 14, 14' then rocked into selected position;the set screw 13, 13' are then threaded forwardly or rearwardly, as reqauisite, until supported abutment is made with the related, adjusted feedelements 14, 14'; and the screws 15, 15

securely maintained in selected positionment- Lateral feed elements 14,14' are of relatively greater: length than feed elements 8, 10, 10',extending substan-:

tially forwardly thereof for purposes presently appearing.

Feed dog A of the present invention is designed primarily fordifferential feeding of pieces of fabric and the usage thereof is wellexemplified in the banding operation. Therein an ungathered, tape-like,band is stitched to the opposed edge portions of a pair of spaced apart,fabric sections of greater extent than said band, so as to mutuallysecure the same into a unitary garment. In the manufacture of one piecedresses wherein separate pieces of fabric are utilized for the bodiceand skirt portions, with the band constituting the belt or waistportion, feed dogs of the type herein disclosed effect the appropriate,simultaneous feeding of the multiple pieces nate pieces of fabric forrespectively forming the skirt andbodice of a one piece dress, While Eand F represent bands for providing a faced, set-in belt. Fabric piecesC, D, 'will perforce have a greater corresponding extent than bands E, Fto endow the garment with fullness. It will'be seen that'bands E, F aredirected to the machine by the usual guides 16, and will be fed toneedles 2, 2 in the customary manner by the coaction of feed elements S,10, and presser foot 4. Fabric sections C, 'D are directed to themachine, as along guides (not shown), being spaced apart a distanceslightly less than the width of bands E, F, and with their opposed edgeportions presented sandwichingly between the adjacent edge portions ofbands E, P, so that the same are relatively disposed for the developmentof spaced waist seams .S in the completed dress.

Said fabric sections C, D will be fed to the machine bylateral feedelements 14, 14, respectively, which will have been secured in anadjusted, upwardly swung position whereby the same will project abovethe plane of feed dog elements 8, 10, 10'. In view of the relativelength of said lateral feed elements 14, 14 the latter will engagefabric pieces C, D in advance of the engagement of bands E, F by feedelements 8, with the result that rate of feed of fabric sections C, Dwill be relatively greater than that of bands E, F. Hence, per unit oftime, greater portions of fabric pieces C, D will be delivered toneedles 2, 2' than of bands E, F, whereby said fabric pieces C, D willbe gathered during the feeding and be caused to travel at such rate asto assure that their ends will be coincident with those of bands E, F.

It will thus be seen that lateral feed elements 14, 14', provide adesired range of adjustability so as to accommodate fabric sections C, Dof varying thickness, as well as to present a desired range of rate offeed therefor. It will be noted that if feed elements 14, 14 arepresented for operation while in co-planar relationship with feedelements 8, 10, 10, the fabric sections C, D would be fed at the samerate as the bands E, F, with theresult that the desired gathering wouldnot be accomplished and portions thereof would be left in unsecuredrelation, that is, the ends thereof would not be brought intocoincidence with that of bands E, F. As the lateral elements 14, 14' arerocked into increasingly upward position the rate of feed of fabricsections C, D would beincreased.

In view of the foregoing, it is evident that the utilization of thepresent invention assures the appropriate seaming or stitching ofmultiple fabric sections in desired relation without the exercise of anyparticular developed skill on the part of the operator. Prior to thisinvention, to effect the banding operation, an operator had to be highlyskilled, and well trained, since the feeding of the fabric sectionscould only be done by hand, with a practiced eye alone determining theappropriate rate of speed to assure the development of the waist seams,with the desired gathering for fullness.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of thefeed dog for sewing machines may be made and substituted for theseherein shown and described without departing from the nature andprinciple of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a sewing machine having a feed bar and means for effectingmovement of said feed bar, a feed dog for differential feedingcomprising a body having a depending shank portion engaged to said feedbar for movement of the feed dog therewith, a plurality of elongated,spaced apart, parallel fixed feed elements provided in the upper portionof said feed dog body, said fixed feed elements being disposed withtheir longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the horizontal, anauxiliary feed element pivotally mounted on each of the opposite sidesof said feed dog body, laterally outwardly of said fixed feed elements,for movement with said feed dog body, said auxiliary feed elements beingswingable above and below the plane of said fixed feed elements, andmeans for maintaining said auxiliary feed elements in pre-selectedposition within their arc of swing.

2. In a sewing machine as described in claim 1 wherein said fixed feedelements project forwardly from the feed dog body, said auxiliary feedelements being of greater length than said fixed feed elements forextension at their forward ends beyond the forward ends of said fixedfeed elements.

3. In a sewing machine as described in claim 2 wherein said auxiliaryfeed elements are swingable within a plane substantially perpendicularto the plane of said fixed feed elements.

4. In a sewing machine having a feed bar and means for effectingmovement of said feed bar, a feed dog for differential feedingcomprising a body having a depending shank portion engaged to said feedbar for move ment of the feed dog therewith, a plurality of elongated,spaced apart, parallel fixed feed elements provided in the upper portionof said feed dog body, said fixed feed elements being disposed withtheir longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the horizontal, anauxiliary feed element pivotally mounted on at least one side of saidfeed dog body, laterally outwardly of said fixed feed elements, formovement with said feed dog body, said auxiliary feed element beingswingable above and below the plane of said fixed feed elements, andmeans for maintaining said auxiliary feed element in preselectedposition within its arc of swing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS102,710 Rehfuss May 3, 1870 1,115,096 Onderdonk Oct. 27, 1914 1,548,962Tate Aug. 11, 1925 1,992,781 Smith Feb. 26, 1935 2,102,202 Ebert Dec.14, 1937 2,324,861 Marsac July 20, 1943

